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Siege of Northfold Peaks
The Siege of Northfold Peaks was an invasion by the Burning Legion upon Arathi Highlands, specifically the region of Northfold Peaks. Within the region lay Arath'al, an ancient Stromic Keep, where the Sons of Strom base from. Sending out a call for aid, the call was answered by three groups, the Blades of Greymane from Gilneas, the Wildhammer Clan, whom sent a contingent of Gryphon Riders, and surprisingly, Syndicate remnants who sought to make peace with the Stromics in the region. Conflict The conflict was broken up into several stages, some parts involving two simultaneous battles. Pre-Battle The Blades arrived in Arath'al to find that they were not the only forces called in by the Sons of Strom for aid. Alongside them stood the Wildhammers of the Hinterlands, and surprisingly, the Syndicate remnants. Called together under common threat, tensions were thick due to the Wildhammers and Syndicate having opposing views. Called to break the tie in where we would advance, the north with the Syndicate, or the South with the Wildhammer, the Gilneans chose the Wildhammer, led by Traglin Featherbeard, to dismantle Jintha'watha. The Syndicate were not pleased, as they were promised control of Riverton, which was under the control of the Undead. With Jintha'watha being given priority, the Stromics and the Syndicate headed north to hold Sentinel's Watch, a fallen outpost, while the Blades and Wildhammers headed south to reclaim Trollslayer Point, another outpost. Trollslayer Point and Sentinel's Watch Under Captain Tyria Geritain, Marshal Chapman's daughter, the Sons of Strom and the Syndicate forces headed north towards Sentinel's Watch. Sentinel's Watch was a catastrophic battle on both sides, the Sons of Strom losing the majority of their forces, while the remnants of the Syndicate quit the field, leaving a beleaguered force to hold the fortress against the House of Laign undead. However, the Undead stromics were butchered in the field, forcing them to fall back to Riverton, both parties left in a standstill. The defenders of Trollslayer Point preformed more admirably than believed, with them disabling the majority of the Smoulderbranch's initial front, as well as destroying a weapon of war. While they suffered heavy casualties, there were survivors, despite initial belief of them all being slain. Ian Gawndey, Brother Borean, Lortik of the Wildhammer Clan, and Jarryd, a warhound, were the surviving party that delivered the crucial news that the Trolls were severely damaged, allowing the Dwarf-Gilnean force to march forth into Jintha'watha with little resistance. Attack on Jintha'watha As a result, the Blades and Wildhammers circumvented Trollslayer Point entirely, leaving behind Blades soldiers and Captain Daniel Geritain, Tyria's husband, to take the fort on their own while the elite of the Blades and Wildhammers struck at the heart of the Ziggurat of Jintha'watha. Catching the trolls off guard, the Alliance forces ascended to the peak of the Ziggurat, finding it to be a giant Soul Engine. Defeating Vol'zan by repeatedly forcing him to suffuse himself in fel, Barreck Evinsson braved the conduit of the Soul Engine. Redirecting the fel into Vol'zan, his body was bloated and eventually exploded from overloading with fel. His death radiated through the Smoulderbranch tribes, disbanding the overarching tribe while the remaining Forest Trolls descended back into fighting. Following Vol'zan's explosive demise, the group escaped in the chaos. To further the Troll's defeat, the Wildhammer bombarded the Ziggurat into ruins. Trollslayer Point was a critical success for the Alliance, Blades forces butchering the trolls without a single loss. Following the destruction of Jintha'watha, the Alliance forces split yet again, half headed north to aid the beleaguered Sons of Strom in Sentinel's Watch. Moving into the valley just before the Conquest Gate, the Blades met up with Marshal Heinran Chapman; preparing to move in on Forge Camp: Conquest. Defense of Sentinel's Watch After meeting with Marshal Chapman and determining the northern flank was a liability, the Blades left to reinforce Sentinel's Watch from Terisa Laign's personal retinue. Marching north, the Blades met with what remained of Tyria Geritain's forces. While there were still Stromics prepared to fight, the bulk of her manpower had been weakened and injured and needed to be defended. The Undead beset the fortress heavily, though the defenses and superior tactics of the Blades were capable of pushing them away from the outer wall up until Terisa used her magic to destroy it. Swarmed on all sides, the Blades held a valiant defense against the Legion's assault until Terisa was finally slain. As she attempted to shout her final curses, Berenal Grayblade proceeded to behead her. By the end of the battle, few of the Alliance vanguard forces were still left standing, but the fortress was held. Gray Company Infiltration Concurrent with the defense of Sentinel's Watch, the Blades' stealth division, Gray Company, infiltrated into Conquest Gate. Split between the Undead and the Trolls, with minimal Legion occupation; the Company was capable of not only destroying the two fortifications entirely, they also sabotaged the Conquest Gate, rendering it smashed open and unable to be closed. By the end of their infiltration, both forts were on fire, and the Conquest Gate was in disrepair. This would allow for the following battle upon the Legion to be without question, as what little remained of their followers were now shattered to the wind. Counterattack on Forge Camp: Conquest The next morning, the united forces of the Blades, Sons of Strom, and Wildhammers charged into Forge Camp: Conquest. While Alliance soldiery was enough to decimate what little demonic host was left, the Inner Circle, accompanied by Traglin Featherbeard and Heinran Chapman, faced off with Apoclyon the Corruptor, a massive battle-scarred pitlord who was at the head of the invasion. Attempting to persuade the Alliance to join the Legion, Apoclyon's attempts were for naught as the group engaged in battle. Mid way through the fight, Apoclyon attempted yet again to persuade his attackers by showing them a vision of a siege on the Undercity, aided by the Burning Legion to accomplish this. Serving as King Genn Greymane's honor guard against Sylvanas Windrunner, the group beheld a false prophecy, where with the Legion's aid, the Alliance felled the Banshee Queen. However, the Pitlord's magicks wavered, allowing the group to resist the mind control. Turning Greymane and the royal guard against them, the group destroyed the apparitions and freed themselves fully from the haze. Livid at the repeated resistance, Apoclyon showed himself yet again in another vision, this time of a smouldering burning Gilneas. Once more, the Alliance persisted, felling Apoclyon even as he used his magic to mind control several of the attacking group. With his fall, Northfold Peaks were finally free of the Legion. Aftermath Following the Siege of Northfold Peaks, the Sons of Strom pledged a debt to both the Wildhammers and the Blades of Greymane. Seeking to restore the Peaks as a bastion for the beleaguered Stromic people, but also still remain in the fight for Azeroth, the Stromics gave an oath to answer the call of battle against the Legion should it be sounded. The Syndicate Remnants beset Riverton's undead, killing them to a man and claiming the town as their own. While they sounded no hostilities towards the Stromics, tension was palpable, as the Syndicate were branded cowards for leaving the field, while the Syndicate branded the Stromics oathbreakers for not assisting in claiming Riverton. Regardless, with oath and spoils in hand, the Blades departed Northfold, allowing the people of the area to recover, and the Wildhammers delivered the head of Vol'zan to Thane Falstad, claiming victory over another Forest Troll uprising. Category:Events Category:Campaigns Category:Sons of Strom